Mechanism for preparing tubes for splicing.



c. H. DUHKEE.

MECHANISM FOR PREPARING TUBES FOR SPLICING.

APPLICATION FILED AUGQHI 19H.

' Patented Nbv. 191s.

\ CHA'UNGEY H. DURKEE, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSTGNOR 'I'O THE GOOD-' YEAR TIRE AND RUBBER COMFANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

MECHANISM ron rnnranma TUBES son s'rmcrno.

Spciglcation of Trotters Patent. I

Patented not. 5., 1918.

Application filed August 11, 1917. Serial No. 185,784.

' TouZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHAUNOEY H. DUR- KEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, .have invented new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Preparing Tubes for Splicing, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to a machine for preparing tubes for splicing and more particularly relates to an apparatus for flanging back, or turning over, the extremities-of inner,tubes for vehicle tires, preparatory to constructing a splice of the tube thereat.

As a principal object, this invention proposes the provision of means of a mechanical nature for expanding the extremity or mouth of the'inner tube on which the lap or flange is to be made, as a preliminary to the manual completion of the flange process.

As a more specific object, I contemplate the provision of a plurality of vanes, or fingers, which are adapted to assume a conical group-form and over which the extremity of the tube to be flanged may be drawn. 1 also provide means for simultaneously expanding the fingers, or vanes, from their conical group-form into a cylindrical group-form in such manner as to enlarge the tube extremity, and to maintain it in this position for the manual operation of completing the flange.

The above, and additional objects of a similar nature, which will be hereinafter more specifically treated, may be accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part 01"- this application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein there has been illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which, similar reference numbers designatecorresponding parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tube flanging mechanism comprehended by this invention Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front view of a portion of the mechanism;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the method ofmounting the expanding fingers:

4 is a view illustrating the manner in which the imaging process is to be comwhich stretches the mouth of the tube sufliciently to permit of the ready-completion of the hanging process for the tube end. The apparatus may assume man e 'uivalent forms, but in the preferred em odnnent illustrated, it consists mainly of a standardon which is supported the group ofexpanding fingers, together with a cam block arranged to expand the fingersauponprop'er operation of an actuating treadle, which is also supported by said standard.

The standard or upright 10 terminates in the head member 11 at the extremity-bf which there depends the mounting block 12 within which'the expanding fingers 13 are grouped. This mounting block 12 is' mainly of disk form, as is shown in Fig. 2,being provided with a neck portion is adapted to receive the fastening means 15 whereby the finger block is supported upon the pedestal head 11. The hub of the disk'block 12 is centrally apertured, as is indicated by the numeral 16, to provide for the extension therethrough of the tube mandrel 17, the inner extremity of the latter being threaded or similarlysecured at 18 to the upper portion of the standard 10. I

A. plurality of radially shaped sl0ts'19 are formed through the mounting block 12, each of these slots accommodatin medial porti'on 20 of one or Each of the fingers, or vanes, consists of an elongated terminalportion 21 and of an expanding arm 22, joined by the enlarged me: dial portion 20 just mentioned, the latter being of disk form and being capable of pivotal movement within the mounting block 12. The hub side of each of} the-radial slots 19 is formed arcuately as denoted by the numoral 23, and to correspond to the curvatureof the enlarged disk portions 20 of the fingers', thus setting the latter for pivotal move ment within the block. The expanding armsthe enlarged H v l,

the vanes 13.

22 of the fingers are formed with spherical or disk enlargements 24. which are adapted to be received within grooves or recesses 25 wl'iereu'ith the expandlng member 26 is provided. These recesses are angularly inclined into the interior of the block 26 in the manner clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, movement of the block axially along the mandrel extremity 17, on Which it is supported, serving to expand all of the fingers 13 from their normal conical group form to the substantially cylindrical group form shown in Fig. at.

Means for actuating the expanding block 26, and for controlling its sliding movement along the mandrel and, may consist of yoke arms 27 which are united by any desired type oi fasteners 28 upon the upper extremity of a bell crank lever 29, the latter being pivoted between ears 30 arranged at a suitable point upon the standard 10. The free extremity of the bell crank lever 29 is connected byla link 31 with a medial portion of the foot treadle 32, this latter being pivoted at 33 near the base of the main standard and being provided with an operating tread portion 3%.

The yoke arms 27 are provided With pin and slot connections indicated generally by the numeral 35 in order that a partial rotation of the bell crank 29 in a clockwise direction (Fig. 1), due to a depression of the foot lever 32, will slide the expanding member 26 alon the extremity of the mandrel 17, to Wart the finger-grouping block 12. Con: tractile coil spring means 86, arranged as illustrated between the link extremity oithc lever 29 and the standard 10, serve to return the expanding block along its mandrel extremity When the depressing force has been removed from the lever tread 34.

In a practical employment of the apparatus which I have shown and described here in, the extremity 37 of the tube 38, which is to be flanged, is drawn over the projecting end of the mandrel 17, and the mouth of the tube is introduced over the linger portions 21. in the manner shown to advantage in Fig. l, with the fingers occupying their normal skeleton conical grouping about the mandrel. The operator then depresses the lever as in order that the expanding block 26 may force the arms 22 of the finger group close together, and thus separate the finger portions upon which the tube end 37 is stretched into their substantially skeleton cylindrical grouping about the mandrel, the result on the tube being shown in Fig. 4. With the apparatus in this osition, the tube may be tucked, or force manually with the aid of any suitable tool, under the expanded fingcrs 13 until it occupies the shape shown in the dotted lines of this figure, resulting in the desired flange. The tube is then drawn oif the mandrel 17, maintaining its flange shape in the manner shown in Fig. 5. Flanges of this character are required in making splices of inner tube extremities, the fianging work having been hitherto usually undertaken by hand. By use of the present apparatus, however, a material expedition of work is secured together with more uniform results in the flanging process.

What I claim is: v

1. In a mechanism for preparing a tube for splicing, a support mandrel for the tube, a plurality of fingers adapted to receive an end portion of the tube, said fingers being normally grouped about the mandrel in the form of a skeleton cone axially alined with the mandrel, and means for moving said fingers away from the mandrel whereby an unobstructed annular space is left between the fingers and said mandrel, so that a portion of the tube can be tucked into said. space.

2. In a mechanism for preparing a tube for splicing, a mandrel for supporting the tube, a plurality of fingers adapted .to receive an end portion of the tube, said fingers 1 being grouped in the form of a cone in axial alinement with the mandrel and being fixed as regards longitudinal movement along the mandrel but being pivoted for swinging movement therefrom into the form of a skeleton cylinder in axial alinement with the mandrel whereby an unobstructed annular space is left between the fingers and said mandrel, so that a portion of the tube can be tucked into said space.

3. In a mechanism for preparing a tube for splicing, a support mandrel for the tube, a plurality of pivotally mounted fingers adapted to receive an end portion of the tube, said fingers normally being in an oblique position with respect to the man drel, and means slidablc upon said mandrel lor sin'iultancously swinging all the fingers into positions of parallelism with said mandrel whereby an unobstructed annular space is left between the fingers and said mandrel, so that a portion of the tube can be tucked. into said space.

4-. In a mechanism for preparing a tube for splicing, a support mandrel, a block mounted upon said mandrel, fingers oscillat ably journaled in. said block and adapted to receive an end portion of the tube, and means for swingin said fingers away from the mandrel where y an unobstructed annular space is left between the fingers and said mandrel, so that a portion of the tube can be tucked into said space.

5. In a mechanism for preparing a tubefor splicing, a support mandrel, a block arranged upon the mandrel, fingers journaled in said block and adapted to receive an end portion of the tube, extensions formed upon said fingers, and means operating simultaneously upon all of said finger extensions toswing said fingers awa from the mandrel whereby an unobstructed annular space is left between the fingers and said mandrel, so that a portion of the tube can be tucked into said space.

,6. In a mechanism for preparing a tube for splicing, a support mandrel, a plurality of pivotally mounted fingers grouped to inclose a portion of said mandrel, said fingers adapted to receive anend portion of the tube and provided with arms, a block slidable upon the mandrel and provided with inclined recesses into which said arms eX- tend, and yieldable means operatively connected to move the slidable block along the mandrel to swing the fingers away from or toward the mandrel.

T. In a mechanism for preparing a tube for splicing, a mandrel, a plurality of pivotally mounted fingers normally vinclosing a portion of said mandrel in a group of to receive an end portion of the tube, means .slidable upon the mandrel to swing the fingers to change the normal grouping of the fingers into one of skeleton cylindrical form whereby an unobstructed annular space is left between the fingers and said mandrel, so that, a portion of the tube can be tucked into said space, and yieldable means operable upon said slidin means to return said fingers to their norma grouping with-respect to said mandrel.v

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

' CHAUNGEY H. DURKEE. lVitnesses:

GRACE T. DURAND, Rom. Wonrmne. 

